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A new book is on the way from Roundel Books, covering the worlds of Star Trek figures.

Roundel Books Publishing are now running a kickstarter for the next generation of their Go Figure range, this time cataloguing the entire Playmates 4.5” range of Star Trek action figures. This comprehensive guide will be a must-have for fans and collectors alike, detailing the history of the range with brand-new photography.

To Boldly Go Figure is a lavish book exploring the entire range through brand new high-quality photographs by Rory Clements, with detailed release information on every figure by William Brooks, cataloguing all accessories, action bases and highlighting the evolution of the range. The book is edited by Gary Russell.

Building on the success of Roundel’s first Go Figure volume, which covered the entirety of Character Options’ Doctor Who line, this volume examines all the Playmates 4.5″ figures released during the range’s original 1990s run, plus the 2022/23 revival, including play sets and shuttle craft.

“The response to the first volume in the Go Figure series was incredible,” says project editor Gary Russell, “and we always knew where we wanted to go for the next book. We’re all massive Star Trek fans and having spent so long tracking down all of the rarities like ‘Red Data’, it was great to pull together a proper checklist and go through the collection one by one.”

Speaking exclusively to SFB, Russell added, “I was gifted, for a birthday waaaay back in the early 90s the first Playmates Borg figure. It was the first action figure I’d had. I then decided to buy some more – a Romulan, Klingon, Bev Crusher … and that was it. I was hooked. As the years have gone by, I have collected Doctor Who, Marvel, Star Wars, Timmverse Batman, Flash Gordon, Tron, Planet of  the Apes … action figure collecting has become an obsession. But it all started with this one Borg. And he’s the one in this book too. The Playmates figures were my gateway into my collecting bug and I’m so happy to be able to put them all together in this book (with the help of other collectors to plug the variant gaps) – To Boldly Go Figure is a true labour of love for myself, Will (both writing and designing) and Rory (taking the pictures and making these 35 year old toys look their best). We have been assimilated.”

Launched in 1992, as Star Trek: The Next Generation entered its sixth season, the Playmates’ line was an immediate hit, quickly expanding to encompass iconic characters from Star Trek: The Original Series, and beaming up much-loved figures from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager as each series made its debut. More than 20 years after the end of the range, Playmates returned to the scale to offer new characters from both Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Prodigy. Bridge crews, aliens, creatures and guest stars all found their way into 4.5″ form, alongside play sets and shuttlecraft, allowing collectors to explore strange new worlds of their own.

“Diving back into the range has been a lot of fun, and I’ve spent the last few months going on a deep dive through the toy box to examine each figure anew,” says writer William Brooks. “I’ve been especially envious of Gary’s collection – I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve tried to smuggle Seven of Nine home with me.”

The book will be available in standard softcover edition with a limited run hardback edition exclusive to the Kickstarter. There all also art cards, posters and alternate covers (including a Klingon cover) up for grabs. Unofficial but utterly comprehensive, this book is a must-have for collectors and fans alike.

Roundel Publishing’s previous books have focussed on the worlds of the BBC’S Doctor Who, with To Boldly Go Figure their first time exploring strange new worlds. Help them make it so and back the Kickstarter today. The campaign is live now and will run until Sunday 8th March.